Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-07-22

Professor Reuben Folds and Ills Wonder
ful LegerdcmRiD with Figures.
.r,4

81 Louis Globe Democrat.
Probably one OF the most wonderful
men Of this day is living few miles
south Of Higginsyille, No. lie is known
everywhere as Professor Reuben Fields,
and probably the only man N the country
Who travels free on railroads and never
has pass, and don't bother about the
lcrg and short haul clause. Professor
Fields is undoubtedly q mathematic Won
der. He has no education whatever
does not know single letter of the alpha
oct, nor his own name Il printed in six
teen-llre pics wood type, bold face. Nor
does he know one figure from another,
though he will solve any problem in
mathematics given him. The Professor
called at the Office Of the Globe Democrat
correspondent and entertained him and
several friends for some time. He never
carries s watch, but when asked what
tine of daT he promptly answered four
teen minutes and thirtY-fOur seconds az
ter 8. When asked what day Of the week
the 25l Gay Of November, 1851, came he
answered, Saturday" lie answered
this and similar questions without no
ment's hesitation. To The question:
WHAT will thirty-nine pounds Of sugar
sits cents pound amount to:
lie promptly answered - o., and be-
fore those who were figuring with him
could get tie question on paper To the
question:
What VIII nineteen and one-half yards
OF calico st 81 cents amount TO?
WEs quickly answered BE. These
were very easy ones 20 the Professor, and
ha asked for something hard. The fol
loving We given MIN:
If / run tventY-sevgu yards in one
minute, aOW long viii II tSke to run six
miles:
with very little study came the an
swar-3gI is minutes, or hours 81 l-9
minutes.
These problems seemed not to trouble
him, SIS the answers came as soon as the
questions were asked. On the following,
however, ne required q little study,
owing, a. be said, to the noise about him
+ The question was:
From here 10 Louisiana, Mo, II is 159
miles; how many revolutions does the
! driving wheel Of an engine, fifteen feet in
Ia circumference, make in run from this
/ place to louisiana
TIE professor studied little, mutter-
! ing strings Of figures; "milliOns, billions,
]
/ 55,e6s revolutions" came the answer be-
/ fore the calculstors found how many rev.
Olu'iJus j. made to the mile. The figures
/ "724" were written on paper and snown
I lim. He did not know what they were,
and, in fact, be is ignorant or any other
subject thsn mathematics, and the ques-
7 ton must be asked verbally. He is thirty
/ six wears OF age sni was born il Ken
. 81 M -as Hc = off VIC
/ heaven, and saws i came on aim suddenly
( wren eight years Old, lie says the Lord
made nu- one Samson, one Solomon sud
one Rau1 Fields. To one he gave
strength, 90 the other wisdom and to
/ himself mathematical instinct. lie guards
! t7.. instinct With the utmost care
/ aud win not answer questions unless he
. IS paid. faGEiBE tbst IL viii be taken from
I I.m should he use il 20 satisfy Idle curl
I o-ily. He was also given ne following:
A hS5 certain sum OF money. He
/ goes to tleater ard pays 81 ard -p9nts
half Of what he he's left. and then pays 81
/ to get out; n goes 10 g second theatsr
and shal pays 81 admission, spends half
be has left and pays 81 to get out; ne
goes 10 2 third theater, pays 81 admis-
sion, spends half OF what nc has left and
then pays his LAST dollar to get out. How
much had he when he started?
While one or two of those present COM
menced to scratch up hsH-forgotten algG-
bra the Professor was soaring among the
million, billions, triIlions, quadrilliODs, 5"
and then suddenly dropped down TO S2l
before the algebraiC caIcuIators got their
paper ready to commence.
Before the Professor left each one pres
ent knew the dsy of the week each one
was born on. The Professor accepted 81
with thanks and promised another csil to-
! morrow